Scan the Landscape

Making strategic decisions about your giving means knowing the lay of the land. We help you identify trends, pinpoint needs in your field, research potential partners, and keep pace with recent innovations.

Our annual and special topic studies, statistics, and custom search services give you all the information you're looking for in one place.

The information you're looking for.
All in one place.

Scan the landscape

RESEARCH

In the world of philanthropy, strategic decisions are only as good
as the research that goes into making them. And you can count
on us to deliver the most current data available in all realms of
philanthropy. Trends, factors, strategies that inform your work — you
name it. Our team of experts analyzes and interprets the data so
you can tap into it. Specific examples include:

Annual studies and trend data help you understand how you fit
into the overall picture.

Special topic studies explore in-depth areas of particular
funding (e.g., social justice or education) to deliver benchmark
data not available elsewhere.

We collect, organize, interpret, and deliver the knowledge you need every day — news, trends, and spotlights on key leaders and organizations.

The news you need.
Nothing you don't.

Scan the landscape

Communicate your work

NEWS AND INFORMATION SERVICES

The Foundation Center frees you up to focus on your mission. We
collect, organize, interpret, and deliver the knowledge you need every
day — from current news and trends across the field to spotlights
on key leaders, thinkers, and organizations. All so you can get more
done and make better decisions. Tools we offer include:

Philanthropy News Digest: A round-up of the news that matters,
including interviews with key players and our must-read blog,
PhilanTopic. Choose from daily alerts, weekly newsletters,
RSS feeds, podcasts, and a mobile version.

STAY ON THE BALL AND AT THE TOP OF YOUR
GAME. FOLLOW THESE SIGN-UP LINKS:

See how your organization
compares to others
around the world. Literally.

Scan the landscape

Communicate your work

PHILANTHROPY IN/SIGHT®

Philanthropy In/Sight is a unique tool that combines the familiar
Google Maps interface with the Foundation Center's massive
wealth of data into a powerful, visual asset. Choose from a range
of advanced options to quickly create maps to reveal patterns and funding relationships you've never seen
before. Identify challenges, funding needs, and opportunities for
collaboration. Philanthropy In/Sight helps you:

LEARN MORE:

Custom, curated portals contain foundation grants information, data visualization tools, research, news, and social media that help you do your job more efficiently.

The antidote to information overload.

Scan the landscape

Increase your capacity

Communicate your work

CUSTOM WEB PORTALS

Staying up on the latest developments and best practices is a challenge. That's why we provide custom, curated web portals. Our unique ability to bring together foundation grants information, data visualization tools, research, news, and social media helps you focus and do your job more efficiently. Plus, by leveraging the portals to communicate about your work, you'll reach — and collaborate with — like-minded funders. To see examples of our custom web portals, visit:

HAVE YOUR OWN IDEA FOR A CUSTOM PORTAL?

See how your organization's level of transparency compares to others and get tips
to improve it.

The clear benefits of transparency.

Scan the landscape

Communicate your work

GLASSPOCKETS

Nothing strengthens credibility, increases public trust, or improves
relationships like fostering an environment of transparency.
That's why we created our Glasspockets web portal — so you can
assess and improve on your level of transparency. Specifically:

Use our "Who Has Glass Pockets?" checklist: It's an effective
way to benchmark transparency and accountability practices,
compare policies with those of your peers, and submit your
profile for sharing online.

Keep up with our "Transparency Talk" blog: It's filled with
insights and best practices from other foundations and experts
in the field.

Link directly from our "Transparency Heat Map": See real-life
examples of what foundations are sharing online.

Learn how your peers are using social networks and digital media to advance their work with Transparency 2.0.

Explore in-depth profiles and trends in our special section: "Eye on the Giving Pledge."

See the national and global reach of foundations who are sharing grantmaking data through the Reporting Commitment.

LEARN MORE:

Find the right tools to measure your effectiveness, and connect with peers
and experts.

Are your efforts producing the
impact you envisioned? Find out.

Scan the landscape

Increase your capacity

Help your grantees and applicants

TRASI — TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR ASSESSING SOCIAL IMPACT

You do what you do in order to make a difference. But how do you
know if your efforts are effective? That's where our TRASI tool
comes in. It stands for Tools and Resources for Assessing Social
Impact and that's exactly what it does — helps you assess the
return on your social investments. It features a searchable, expert-reviewed
database of more than 150 approaches and helps gauge
something that's often hard to quantify. With TRASI, you and your
grantees can:

Find the right tools to assess the impact you're both having.

Measure the effectiveness of your programs and strategies.

Connect with peers and evaluation experts to learn what works
(and what doesn't).

EXPLORE TRASI AND LEARN HOW
IT CAN HELP YOU:

The definitive online database containing everything about U.S. foundations and their millions of grants around the world.

Move your mouse.
Then change the world.

Scan the landscape

Help your grantees and applicants

FOUNDATION DIRECTORY ONLINE

Not long after we were founded in 1956, the Foundation Directory
helped establish our reputation as a leading resource in the world
of philanthropy. Today it's become the definitive online database
containing everything about U.S. foundations and their millions of
grants around the world. Search up to nine databases at once —
grantmakers, companies, grants, 990s, RFPs, philanthropy news,
foundation-sponsored publications, nonprofit literature, and jobs —
to quickly compile a report containing only what you're looking for.
It's the ideal tool for grantmakers to evaluate the landscape,
vet grantseekers, and learn about other organizations. Foundation
Directory Online is:

Simply the most comprehensive, accurate, and flexible way to
gain key knowledge.

A free resource for eligible Foundation Center donors.

Available for free use at more than 470 funding information
centers nationwide and around the world.